Grain-measuring machine.



G. D. OROMLEY. GRAIN MEASURING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26, 1907.

948,290. Patented Feb. 1,1910.

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948,290- I Patented Feb. 1,1910.

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U. D. CROMLEY. GRAIN MEASURING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26, 1907,

948,290. Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

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G. D. GROMLEY. GRAIN MEASURING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED our. 26, 1907.

Patented Fb. 1, 1910.

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UNITED srn pg 1 mm ormon CHARLES D. GROMLEY, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC PACK- ING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ACOEPGRATION OF CALIFORNIA.

GRAIN-MEASURING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed November 30, 1906, Serial No. 345,783.Divided. and this application filed October To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, (lrmnrns D. Cnoarnny, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at .--rlameda, in the county of Alameda and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Measuring Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to measuring devices and especially to measuringapparatu adapted for use in connection with ghing and bagging machines.

An object of the present invention is to provide a measuring machineadapted to deliver :1 large percentage of a predetermined weight. ornuiterial to a receptacle at a single discharge and to continue todischarge small amount of material. until. the exact prcdeterminedweight has been obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of theclass described a casing adapted to receive material from any approvedsource and with means disposed within the casing adapted to separatefrom the material contained in the casing a quantity of the materialwhich is discharged below the casing at a single discharge and with anauxiliary opening formed in the casing adapted to discharge material insmall quantities until the exact predetermined weight has been obtained,and with means for interrupting the flow when such weight has beendischarged.

A further object of the invention to provide in a device of the classdescribed a casing having openings formed in the bottom thereof and withsemi-cylinders disposed within the casing and mounted to rotate adaptedto discharge through the opening in the bottom of the casing the amountof material admitted into the semi-cylinders trom a ny approved source.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations and arrz'rngenients of parts, as willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view in Serial No. 399,341.

side elevation of an entire organized machine of which the presentmeasuring device terms part. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machineshown at Fig. 1 showing the means for operating the measuring device.big. 3 is a vertical, diametrical, sectional view oi the machine astaken on line 33 of Fig. F 4t is an enlarged, detail view of themeasuring apparatus taken substantially on the same plane as that ofFig. 3. Fig, 5 is a transverse, sectional view taken on a horizontalplane as on the line 55 of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of thesegmental plate adapted to close the bottoms of the casing. Fig. 7 is adetail view oi? the auxiliary discharge and means for controlling thesame taken on a plane substantially the same as the plane of Fig. 4.

Like characters or reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The measuring device forming the subject-matter of this application isadapted for operation in association with a weighing and bagging machineas disclosed in 00- pending application No. 379,550, filed June 18,1907, for a measuring and weighing device, and of which application thisis a division, and which said application was, in

turn, a division of co-pending application No. 3 l5,763, filed Nov. 30,1906, for a bag ging machine so that this-application is a division ofthe last-mentioned application No. 3 15,? 63.

The bagging machine mentioned and disclosed in the co-pendingapplications, is shown as comprising a base 20 upon which a re erectedthe uprights 21. Filling tubes 22 are mounted to rotate upon the base bymeans of a central shaft- 23 with a rotating table 24 carrying the saidfilling tubes, as described in the said co-pending applica tions. Uponthe upper ends of the uprights 20 a top member, plate or spider25 ismounted forming a journal for the upper end of the shaft 23, which saidshaft is provided with a gear 26 disposed above. the spider. Upon thetop plate or spider a casing 27 is erected of any approved shape, buthere shown andpreferably somewhat in the form of an ellipse with itsopposite ends formed semi-cylindrical and provided with an opening 28through which material may be discharged into the chamber :29 of thecasing within which a deflector or battle plate 30 is erected preferablyin the form of an inverted V.

lVithin the opposite semi-cylindrical ends of the casing shafts 31 andare j ournaled in a vertical position and with semi-cylinders 33 and 34carried, respectively, thereby, conforming substantially to the innercurvature of the semi-cylindrical ends of the easing. Between thechamber 29 and the chambers occupied by the semi-cylinders 33 and 34plates 35 and 36 are mounted to be moved vertically to regulate theamount of material which may flow from the chamber 29 to thesemi-cylinders to an approximate degree. It will, of course, beunderstood that as the plates 35 and 36 are raised a greater interval isprovided below their lower ends permitting thereby a greater quantity ofmaterial to flow from the chamber 29 to the curved chambers occupied bythe semi-cylinders 33 and 34.

Upon the upper ends of the shafts 31 and 32 gears 37 and 38 are,respectively, provided, and a segmental gear 39 is journaled upon ashaft a0 mounted vertically upon the top plate. The segmental gear 39intergears with and is adapted to rotate the gears 37 and 38 and isitself moved by means of a crank arm d1 provided with a roller 41engaging a cam l2 carried upon the upper end of a shaft 43 journaledvertically upon the top plate or spider 25. The shaft a3 is providedwith a gear 4% intergeared with a gear l5 carried upon a horizontalshaft- 46, which latter shaft is provided with a gear 47 intergearedwith the gear 26 carried upon the upper end of the shaft 23, and fromwhich the parts receive motion.

The bottom of the casing 27 is open, and a segmental plate elS ismounted upon the shaft and positioned to pass beneath the open bottomsof the semi-cylindrical end chambers and to be moved about the saidshaft 40 as a pivot simultaneously with the movement of the segmentalgear 39, so that with the plate provided with curved or concaved endrecesses 19, the semi-cylindrical chambers are alternately opened andclosed. From an examination of Figs. 2 and 5 it will be seen that thesemi-cylinder 33 is positioned to prevent the passage of material fromthe chamber 29 into the semi-cylindrical chamber and that the segmentalplate l l l 48 is moved to open the open lower end of thesemi-cylindrical casing inclosing the semicylinder 33 and to close thechamber inclosing the semi-cylinder 3%. lVith the gears 39 and thesegmental plate l8 moved to reverse the relative positions of thesemi-cylinders 33 and 3d, the segmental plate 48 is also cylinder and toopen the bottom of the casing beneath the semi-cylinder In addition tothe openings above-described auxiliary openings 50 and 51 are providedthrough the bottom of the casing 27 and registering at all times with asegmental slot formed through the segmental plate l8 so that the saidopenings may, unless otherwise closed. discharge at all times throughthe said slot.

.rrbove the openings 50 and 51 shafts and 54.- are journaled verticallyprovided with wings or agitators 55 and 56 adapted. when rotated, toagitate the material and insure a constant flow through the openings 50and 51. unless such openings are interrupted. The upper ends of theshaft 53 and 51f: are provided with gears 57 inter-geared with gears 58carried upon a shaft 59 journaled horizontally above the top plate orspider 25. The shaft 59 carries a gear (30 intergeared with a gear (31carried upon a shaft (32 also horizontally journaled above the top plate25 but substantially at right angles to the shaft 59. The shaft 62carries a gear 63 inter-geared with a gear (Eel, carried upon the upperend of a vertical shaft 35 extending vertically downward and intergearedby means of the gear (:6 with the shaft 37 by means of which lattershaft power is applied to the machine as at the fast and loose pulley(38. From the shaft (37 power is applied to move the machine by means ofgears 68, operating shaft (39, Wlllfjll, in turn, intergears by means ofthe gears with the shaft 71, which. in turn, is intergeared with thegear or rack 72 encircling and rigidly connected with the central shaftBeneath the openings 50 and 51 closure plates 73 and 74 are mounted toclose the openings in any approved manner as by being slidably mountedin the groove 75 and controlled by means of a rod 76, the detail of suchparts being shown in enlarged section at Fig. 7.

Beneath the casing 27 scale pans 77 and 78 are mounted positioned toreceive discharge from the open lower ends of the semi-cylindricalcasings, and connected with the said scale pans are beams 79 and 80provided with upstanding arms 81. The upstanding arms 81 are providedwith spaced stops 82 engaging the lower end of the lever 83 fulcrumed asat 8% and with its upper end con nected with the rod 70 and by which theclosure 73 is operated in the manner described in the parentapplications Nos. 345763 and 379550.

Upon the shaft 43 is mounted a cam disk 85 operating by means of levers86 and 87 and through links 88, bell crank lever 89, link 90 and lever 1to dump the scale pans, as described in the said parent applications.

In operation bags are placed on the filling moved to close the Openingbeneath the semi 1 tubes 22 and rotate upon and with the table 24. Asthe filling tubes pass beneath the scale pans 77 and 78, the said scalepans are dumped into the filling tubes, as described in the co-pendingapplications above referred to, and which said process forms no part ofthe present invention.

Material for filling the scale pans is supplied from any approved andconvenient source through. the openings 28 into the chamber 29 and byreason of the baffle plate 30 is guided laterally to fill the extremesemicylindrical chambers occupied, in turn, by the semi-cylinders 33 and34. lVith the parts disposed as shown in Figs. 2 and a, the passage intothe semi-cylinder chamber occupied by the semi-cylinder 33 is closed bythe semi-cylinder itself, while the passage upon the other end is openby reason of the semi-cylinder occupying the position opposite theopening. The plates 35 and 36 are so regulated that a very largepercentage of the material to be measured passes thereunder into theconcave interior of the semicylinder, which, as shown, is thesemi-cylinder 34-. hen the parts are reversed by moving the segmentalgear 39 the semi-cylinder 84 rotates to close the passage, while thesemi-cylinder 33 rotates to open the passage to its chamber. As thesemi-cylin der 34. rotates the segmental plate 48 moves to open thebottom of the chamber beneath the semi-cylinder 34L so that the materialcontained therein and moved thereby is discharged through the openbottom into the scale pan 78 beneath. In practice, it is found that avery large percentage, as 90 or 95 per cent. of the material, can bedischarged almost instantaneously by the process and mechanism justdescribed, and to supply the remaining small portion the openings 50 or51 are opened by the movement of the plate 73 so that an auxiliarystream is discharged through said openings, such flow being insured bythe movement of the agitators 55 and 56. As soon as the exact amount hasbeen discharged through the auxiliary openings the scale pan is moved bythe weight of the contained material to thereby close the auxiliaryopenings and prevent further fiow, so that the exact weight of material.is in each instance ac curately controlled by the discharging andmeasuring mechanism, which forms the subject of this application.

It will be noted that two of the semi-cylinders and associate scale pansare employed, positioned to discharge alternately into the filling tubes22, so that as one semi-cylinder is discharging the other is filling,and as that one is discharged its companion again fills so that theoperation of filling and discharging is practically continuous, as thefilling tubes rotate beneath the scale pans to receive discharge ofmaterial therefrom.

lVhat I claim is cylinder,

1. In a device of the class described, a casing, a semi-cylinder mountedwithin the casing, means to rotate the semi'cyhnder, and means to fillthe semi-cylinder at one position and discharge it at another position.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a semi-cylinder mountedwithin the casing, means to regulate the How of material into thesemi-cylinder, means to rotate the semi-cylinder, and means to fill thesemicylinder at one position and discharge it at another position.

3. In a device 01 the class described, a casing, a semi-cylinder mountedat one end of the casing, means to admit material to the opposite end ofthe casing, means to regulate the passage of material from one end tothe other of the casing, means to rotate the semi-cylinder, and meanspermitting the filling of the semi-cylinder at one position and itsdischarge at another position.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, a semi-cylinder mountedwithin the casing, means to admit material to the casing, means torotate the semi-cylinder to separate approximately a predeterminedquantity of material from the material re maining in the chamber, andmeans to discharge the quantity of material separated.

5. In a. device of the class described, a casing, a semi-cylindermounted within the casing, an opening formed below the semicylinder,means to rotate the semi-cylinder to separate a quantity of materialfrom the material approximating the predetermined weight within thecasing, and to discharge it through the opening, and an auxiliary meansadapted to add the requisite complement.

6. In a device of the class described, a casing, means to discharge aquantity approximating the predetermined. weight of material from thecasing at a single dis charge, and an auxiliary means adapted to add therequisite complement.

7. In a device of the class described, a casing, a vertically disposedsemi-cylinder journaled within the casing, means to feed material to thesemi-cylinder, means to rotate the semi-cylinder, means to close theopening at the lower side of the casing, and means to remove the closureto permit the discharge of material from the semi-cylinder.

8. In a device of the class described, a casing, a vertically disposedsemi-cylinder journaled within the casing, means to feed material to thesemi-cylinder, means to regulate the amount of material fed to thesemiand means to discharge material from the semi-cylinder to the lowersides of the casing.

9. In a device of the class described, a casing, a vertically disposedsemi cylinder, journaled within the casing, a feed opening, a slidearranged to close a predetermined portion of the feed opening, and meansto discharge material from the bottom of the semi-cylinder.

10. In a device of the class described, a casing, a vertically disposedsemi-cylinder journaled within the casing, a feed chamber disposedadjacent the periphery of the semicylinder, a slide arranged to close apredetermined portion of the opening between the chamber of thesemi-cylinder, and means to discharge material from the bottom of thesemi-cylinder.

11. In a device of the class described, a casing provided withsemi-cylindrical ends, semi-cylinders mounted to rotate upon a verticalaxis within the semi-cylindrical ends of the casing, means to dischargema terial into the casing, means to move the semi-cylinders rotatably toalternately discharge one and fill the other.

12. In a device of the class described, a casing provided withsubstantially semicylindrical ends, semi-cylinders mounted to rotatewithin the semi-cylindrical ends upon vertical axes, a shaft mountedadjacent the casing, a segmental gear carried by the shaft adapted tomove the semi-cylinders rotatably, and a segmental plate carried by theshaft adapted to alternately open and close opposite ends of the casing.

13. In a device of the class described, a casing, means within thecasing adapted to discharge approximately a predetermined quantity ofmaterial, and with auxiliary casing openings formed in the bottom of thecasing,

and agitators mounted within the casing adjacent to and adapted tocontrol the flow of material through the auxiliary openings.

14. In a device of the class described, a casing, semi-cylinders mountedwithin the casing upon vertical shafts extending up wardly without thecasing, a shaft mounted adjacent the casing, and provided with asegmental gear adapted to operate the semicylinders, a second shaftmounted adjacent the last-mentioned shaft, a cam disk carried by thelast-mentioned shaft and adapted to move the segmental gear alternatelyin reverse directions, and means to rotate the cam disk.

15. In a device of the class described, a

provided with openings in the bottom, means within the casing todischarge a quantity of material through some of said openings ofapproximately the predeter mined weight, means to close the saidopenings, a receptacle disposed beneath the openings adapted to receivematerial therefrom, and means to discharge a weight completing stream ofmaterial through others of the openings in said casing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D. GROMLEY.

Witnesses:

H. V. THOMAS, CHAS. H. PINNER.

